Automatic car and air coupling.



H. F. WOBRNLEY.

AUTOMATIC CAR AND AIR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED OGT. 10,1913.

1,099,585. Patented June 9, 1914.

WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPM co wAsnmaTm. D. c

UNITED STATES PAFENT OFFICE.

HARRY F. WOERNLEY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR' TO THE. WEST INGHOUSE AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OF WILMERDING', PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION O15 PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC CAR AND AIR COUPLING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY F. VVOERNLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Car and Air Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic car and pipe couplings, and more particularly to the mechanism employed for locking counterpart couplers to ether.

In couplers of the above type, a hand operated mechanism is provided for shifting the locking device or cam to its unlocked position, so that the coupler heads may separate when it is desired to uncouple. Before the coupler head can be again coupled, it has heretofore been necessary to first shift the uncoupling lever so as to throw the locking cam back to its normal coupling position.

In my prior application, Serial No. 671,254, filed January 15, 1912, means are disclosed for automatically returning the locking cam to its normal coupling position upon uncoupling and the principal object of my present invention is to provide an unproved and simplified construction of the above character.

In the accompanying drawing; Figure 1 is a central horizontal section of two coupler heads coupled together, showing my improvement applied thereto; Fig. 2 a similar view, showing the locking cams turned to the position for permitting uncoupling; and Fig. 3 a central horizontal section of a coupler head, showing the locking mechanism in the normal position, ready for coupling up with a counterpart coupler head.

The coupler head may comprise a casting 1 having a projecting portion 2 adapted to engage in a recess 3 of a counterpart coupler head.

Centrally arranged in the coupler head is a vertical, longitudinal, plane surface 4ithrough which one or more opening are made for fluid pressure connections, such as connection 5. Above and below this plane surface are formed transverse projections or hooked portions 6 having inclined surfaces adapted to engage and interlock with corresponding portions of a counterpart coupler head, each head being provided with Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Gctober 10, 1913.

Patented June 9, 1914.

Serial No. 794,401.

a. pivoted latch or locking lever 7, having a cam surface for engaging a corresponding curved surface on the projecting portion 2 of the counterpart coupler head, and a spring 8 acting through the medium of pins 9 and 10 for pressing the locking lever 7 into its locked position.

The locking lever 7 is secured to a shaft 11 adapted to be turned by a handle 12, shown in dotted lines and said lever is provided with a lug 13 to which a trip member 1-1 is pivotally connected.

The pin 9 is pivotally connected to the trip member 1i and the pin 10 is pivoted to a lug 15 carried by the coupler casting 1.

The trip member 1% has a finger 16 eX- tending toward. the face of the coupler head and at right angles to the main portion of the trip member and a lever 17 adapted to engage a projecting portion 18 on the coupler head in the movement of the locking mechanism toward normal locking position.

In operation, when counterpart coupler heads are brought together, the projection 2 of one coupler head enters-the recess 3 of the counterpart head and in the lateral and longitudinal movement of the parts pushes the locking lever 7 rearwardly against the resistance of spring 8, as is usual with this type of coupler, and when the heads have reached the final coupled position, as shown in Fig. 1, the locking lever 7 snaps back and its cam surface engages the curved surface of the counterpart head to thereby form a tight lock between the coupler heads. The finger 16 engages the inclined surface 19 of the projection 2 in this position, and thus acts as a fulcrum, so that the spring 8 exerts it force to press the cam surface of the locking lever 7 into engagement with the curved surface of the projection 2.

If it is desired to uncouple, the handle 12 on each of the counterpart coupler heads is turned to the unlocking position and in so doing, the outer end of the finger 16 is caused to ride up 011 and engage the opposite inclined surface 20 of the projection 2, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The spring 8 still exerts its pressure tending to throw the locking mechanism to the normal locking position, but the parts are held in the unlocked position by the engagement of finger 16 with surface 20. As the coupler heads separate, however, the finger 16 is permitted to move with the recession of the projection 2 until the lever 17 engages the projection 18 and then said lever turns on the projection 18 as a fulcrum and is forced to the position shown in Fig. 3, in which said finger is clear of the recess 3, so as not to interfere when the head is again coupled up with a counterpart head. At the same time, the locking lever 7 is forced to its normal locking position by the action of the spring 8, so that the parts are ready for coupling in the manner hereinbefore described.

It will be noted that the cam device heretofore employed for temporarily holding the locking lever in the unlocked position has been dispensed with and that the desired result is accomplished by means of few parts adapted to be cheaply constructed.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an automatic coupling device, the combination with a coupler head and a looking lever'for clamping counterpart coupler heads together, of a trip member associated with said lever and adapted upon movement of the lever to its unlocking position to engage a portion of the counterpart coupler head and a spring for shifting the locking lever to its locking position upon separation of the coupler heads.

2. In an automatic coupling device, the combination with a coupler head and a lock inglever for clamping counterpart coupler heads together, of a trip member connected to said lever and adapted to engage a portion of the counterpart head upon movement of the locking lever to its unlocking position and a spring acting on said member and locking lever and operating to shift same to the unlocking position upon separation of the counterpart coupler heads,

3. In an automatic coupling device, the combination with a coupler head having a projecting portion adapted to engage in a recess in a counterpart head and a locking lever for clamping the counterpart heads together, of a trip member pivotally connected to the locking lever and adapted to engage the projecting portion of the counterpart head upon movement of the locking lever to the unlocln'ng position, to thereby prevent return movement of the locking lever and a spring for shifting the locking lever and the trip member to the locking posit-ion upon uncoupling the coupler heads.

4. In an automatic coupling device, the combination with a coupler head having a I projecting portion adapted to engage in a recess in a counterpart head and a locking lever for clamping the counterpart heads together, of a trip member pivotally connected to the locking lever and adapted to engage the projecting portion of the counterpart head upon movement of the locking lever to the unlocking position, to thereby prevent return movement of the locking lever and a spring pivotally connected to the trip member for returning said member and the locking lever to the locking position upon separation of the coupler heads.

5. In an automatic coupling device, the combination with a coupler head having a locking lever for clamping counterpart heads together in the coupled position, of a trip member pivoted to said locking lever and having a finger adapted to engage a portion of the counterpart coupler head upon movement of the locking lever to the unlocking position to prevent the return movement of said lever, a spring pivoted to said trip member for shifting the trip member and said locking lever to the locking position upon separation of the coupler heads, and a lever on said trip member adapted to engage a projecting portion of the coupler head in the movement to the locking position for guiding the trip member to its normal position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY F. \VOERNLEY.

lVitnesses A. M, CLEMENTS, S. W. KEEFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

